Are These America's Best Deer Hunts?

Published: August - 2006

Last month I covered the desert mule deer scene in Mexico and told you that more than a dozen 200-class bucks had been killed there last season. Well, the buzz is just as good here in the US, where many huge mule deer bucks are being taken, especially by the better outfitters hunting on carefully managed leases.

This month, I am going to focus on two operators that I consider to be the best mule deer outfitters in the lower 48. By themselves, these guys produced nearly the same number of huge bucks as all of Sonora. If averages mean anything, they may have produced even better bucks for the money.

One reason for their success in producing super bucks is that they do not pay lip service to pre-season scouting. They actually spend as much (or more) time scouting as they do hunting, and it shows when their hunters arrive in camp. That said, their hunter success rates are meaningless because most of their clients have already killed big bucks, and they routinely pass on bucks that many of us dream of shooting. This allows the bucks on their properties to reach their full potential, and is another reason why their "average" bucks are monsters.

The first outfitter I recommend offers mule deer hunts on private leases in northern Utah. Are well known for the quality of their operation and guides, as well as the trophies they have produced over the years. Last year was no exception. On one ranch alone, they averaged over 195 points on the six bucks they killed there. Their biggest buck last season was a 35-inch, 9 x 11 scoring a whopping 245 points, and they produced five other bucks grossing over 200 points! On their web site, they have posted pictures of 13 bucks tagged in 2005, not including the 245-point monster. These bucks average 194-3/8 points.

Several years ago, Bucks & Bulls lost one of their best deer leases and many mule deer fanatics thought they were........(continued)